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That shaky, meek and turgid first half was the kind that gets teams relegated.

The spirited, brave and assertive second half was the kind that claws a team clear.

If Boro can bring the steel and zest of the latter onto the pitch more often than not then they can reshape the season.

The first half was awful. There’s no disguising it. A pedestrian Boro showed no imagination, ambition or intent.

Flailing Stoke were equally poor but at least they had a strategy, to get it wide and put crosses in.

Boro were passive victims of a crime against football, just stumbling along hoping something would happen. Or not.

It was a masterclass in mediocrity. Some sloppy, shapeless stuff by a subdued side conceded possession all over the pitch.

Stoke celebrate after Sam Clucas gets the opener

There were poor passes, weak and aimless headers in dangerous areas and fruitless movement down cul-de-sacs.

The keeper threw the ball into touch, a free-kick went out for a throw and at one point Ashley Fletcher tackled himself.

It was woeful. Two poor sides. It “wasn’t one for the purists.” It was one for the masochists.

For the fans trapped in the ground it was purgatory. At least the armchair audience were well on the way to the welcome anesthesia of mulled wine and two tubs of Celebrations.

Many will have switched off completely. Or turned over to watch Strictly Celebrity Arm Wrestling or whatever. Anything.

Others will have fled to the town to join the lesser carnage of Black Eye Friday.

At the break it seemed Boro were unable or unwilling to assert themselves against a side in the bottom three who had lost four out of five on the road and seem locked into a death spiral.

There was an icy grip of fear. Teams who play like that in ‘must win’ matches are doomed.

Ashley Fletcher scores against Stoke

But let us never speak of that first 45 minutes again. Let us not talk of the first 53 minutes.

When Dael Fry misjudged the path of the long ball forward and Stoke prised open the Boro defence to score the volume of the groans only just masked the sound of breaking hearts. It seemed Boro had surrendered.

As it stood, Stoke - whose own fans have embraced the inevitability of their demise - had climbed above Boro on goal difference. And how their surprised fans gloated.

But the swift and emphatic response rebooted the game, rebooted flagging morale and possibly rebooted the season.

Boro forced their way back into the game and then into the lead thanks to a tactical tweak and sheer force of will.

Jonathan Woodgate changed the shape, the tempo increased and the midfield finally got a grip of Joe Allen.

They pressed higher and faster and a couple of telling tackles crashed in and Stoke’s confidence cracked.

The leveller was superbly crafted as Jonny Howson arched an artisan crafted lob over a static defence and Fletcher darted past with perfect timing to power home a text-book header.

Lewis Wing celebrates with Marcus Tavernier after his goal against Stoke

Suddenly, someone flicked a switch and the team and the Riverside burst into life.

The crowd roared. The team hugged. Jonathan Woodgate pummelled an imaginary foe. We have ignition.

Liberated Boro shed their inhibitions and fears and went up through the gears, started to pass and probe and pick their way forward with quick, slick movement and imagination.

Players who were ineffective, isolated shadows in the first half started to spark vividly as a collective. They were a team again.

The winner came straight from the Academy, the second half Marcus Tavernier - he had drifted through a pale first 45 - spun away onto a quick ball played into him then wriggled goalwards to pick out Lewis Wing.

He took a touch, picked his spot then, locked and loaded, he sent an angled effort skidding into the far bottom corner. Get in!

Sometimes in football it comes down to ‘the team who wants it most.’ It comes down to mental strength and character.

Ashley Fletcher celebrates his equaliser with his Boro team-mates

The second half Boro showed that in spades. They could easily have folded in the face of adversity when Stoke scored.

Had that happened a jittery crowd on a knife-edge and shrouded with relegation fears could easily have turned.

Instead supporters maudlin at the break finished the game with gleeful full-throated roaring, invigorated and full of festive fizz.

The Boro they saw in the second half are more than capable of pulling away from danger if they play like that.

The youngsters pressed into service have come through a demanding physical and psychological test.